Asbestos slows Grantham recovery

While many people have built new homes on the high side of town, as part of a land-swap with council, their former house blocks in the lower part of town look overgrown with grass and bush. But there's a good reason.

Asbestos.

"We've notified a number of people not to mow blocks which may break up the substances that cause health issues," Mayor Steve Jones says.

The mayor says a number of homes in the area were built during the 1940s and 50s. "Those types of products were in common use then," the mayor explains.

The process to return the blocks to their natural state has been a long one.

"We've got specialist companies involved. We're at the point where we've removed the bigger objects. Now we've got to plan it out in such a way that these organisations come in and professionally clean the blocks."

The mayor says areas that are considered to be a substantial risk have been taped off into small blocks so they can be cleaned one block at a time.

"When we return it to farmland, or parks, we can be confident that it's fairly safe."

Traditionally a fruit and vegetable growing area, the mayor says one idea for the land is to create a community garden.

"We're really keen to focus on the produce aspect of Grantham. That's where its history was," Steve Jones says.